EngagementIs the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?4

Using social media and other content that can be imported from a variety of sources or created right in the app, Explain Everything helps kids learn by making presentation creation fun.

PedagogyIs learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?4

Explain Everything empowers kids to create presentations, lessons, tutorials, and more with this highly adaptable tool. They're learning about digital creation in one of the best ways: by doing it.

SupportDoes the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?3

Kids will learn to use the many features on this app via a clear, detailed tutorial/help section and in-app prompts.

Our Review

What's It Like?

Explain Everything is a presentation app that integrates content from many sources that teachers and teens can use to create lessons, tutorials, and more for class or personal use. This formidable tool is like a superhero version of PowerPoint. Users can import photos, PDF files, movies, and more from many sources (including iTunes, Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive, WebDAV, etc.) to use in a presentation. Explain Everything can also be used as a whiteboard with the iPad video display. Before you start, consider reading the help page to discern all the features. Then tap on New Project and choose a blank project screen or import from one of many sources (you must enter your username and password information for that source on the linking screen). A white screen with tool options stacked on the left side appears, and users can begin to import content, write on, and record audio for the presentation. Then save (it also autosaves) and playback the presentation.

Is It Good For Learning?

Your students can learn crucial 21st-century skills with Explain Everything. They can learn how to present information using multiple forms of expression (images, text, video, and audio) through digital technology. They also can learn how to convey messages effectively using technology as they choose which social media accounts to link with so they can use that content and how to do so effectively and responsibly. Explain Everything can help students (and teachers!) take presentations to a new level, as long as they don't let the bells and whistles overshadow basics.

How Can Teachers Use It?

Yes, you can use Explain Everything to present information to students in a visually engaging way. But an even more exciting part of this app is helping your students learn to create and present with it -- individually or on group projects. At the student level, Explain Everything is probably used most effectively by students who already have mastered the basics of giving a good presentation. Also, teachers may want to review fair use and content attribution guidelines with students pulling content from a variety of sources to use in their presentations. If students are struggling with all the options on this app, you may want to spend some time going through the help page and FAQs as whole class or in small groups.

Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

SL.11-12: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

SL.11-12.5

Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

Writing

W.7: Production and Distribution of Writing

W.7.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.

W.8: Production and Distribution of Writing

W.8.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

W.9-10: Production and Distribution of Writing

W.9-10.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

W.11-12: Production and Distribution of Writing

W.11-12.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.